


A Moment Alone

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Fic Requests [19]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: AU - Goro joins the team earlier, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24424651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Goro and Ryuji’s relationship is still a secret from their team, so the two of them take every chance they get to have a moment alone.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: Fic Requests [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1141385
Comments: 16
Kudos: 75





	A Moment Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by an anon. Thanks for requesting this ship! :)
> 
> I hope you like it!

Goro had planned his revenge on Shido to be much different from what actually happened; yet, after choosing to join the Phantom Thieves in Okumura’s palace, he felt like an unbearable weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Of course, he knew it would take a long while to forgive himself for his own mistakes, and for all the pain and anger to completely leave him—if they ever did. Yet, when they finally faced Shido’s shadow together, he felt like he was finally free from so many things that had been hurting him for such a long time. He never thought he would be able to move on and start a new life, but as the days went by, this seemed more and more like a true possibility.

And he had Ryuji to thank for that. All the others too, of course, but Ryuji was the one to grab his hand and refuse to let go, until Goro agreed to give himself a chance to be better. As annoying as it could have been in the beginning, now Goro was nothing but grateful for his kind stubbornness, and his unwavering faith that Goro was much better than he thought himself.

The celebration after stealing Shido’s treasure had to wait a few days, since both Goro and Ryuji needed some time to recover from their injuries, but now, a week later, all of them were together in Akira’s room, spending the day playing games and watching series older than any of them, with plans to spend the night, all together, in that small space. A simple thing… Something that most people his age would consider natural, and yet, it was a first for Goro.

“I’m getting hungry here…” complained Akira after a while. “Who wants some popcorn?”

They unanimously agreed. Sojiro had been kind enough to leave a large pot of curry for them, but it was still too early for dinner. Popcorn seemed like the perfect distraction. Goro offered to buy some drinks on a nearby vending machine, and Ryuji agreed, following him to help. That offer made Goro smile to himself: that was a clear excuse for them to have a moment alone.

As soon as they stepped outside of the Leblanc, the cold wind made Goro shiver.

“It’s kinda cold out here,” said Ryuji, hugging his own arms.

“Yes…” agreed Goro. “I didn’t realize how warm Akira’s bedroom is until now.”

“Why don’t we go back and drink hot chocolate instead?”

“Hot chocolate with popcorn?”

“Yeah.”

Goro chuckled, placing a hand on Ryuji’s back to make him move.

“Don’t be lazy,” he said, “we’ll be back in a moment.”

“But it’s cold…”

Despite his complaints, Ryuji took a few steps. Goro closed the door behind them, then moved closer to Ryuji, placing an arm around his shoulders as they made their way to the vending machine.

“Did Ann send the message?” asked Ryuji.

“Let me see…” Goro reached for his phone. “Yes.”

He listed the group’s orders to Ryuji, who took them, then added two of their own to the bag.

“I think that’s all,” said Ryuji.

“No, there’s still something left.”

Saying that, Goro moved closer to Ryuji, placing his hands on his waist. Ryuji smiled, closing his eyes as Goro leaned in for a kiss. He had been waiting for a chance to do that the entire day, so, despite the cold and their friends waiting at the Leblanc, Goro took his time—and Ryuji didn’t rush it either.

“I don’t think this was on the list,” whispered Ryuji.

“Oh, my mistake… I’ll take it back.”

He gave Ryuji another brief kiss, feeling his small laughter against his mouth.

“That was the worst excuse you ever gave to kiss me…” said Ryuji.

Goro forced a tired sigh.

“It’s hard to come up with new ones every time,” he said.

“Why don’t you stop, then?”

“You know I’m difficult.”

“I sure do.”

Goro smiled at him, placing his hand on Ryuji’s cheek, gently caressing it.

“Your face is cold…” observed Goro.

“Your hands too.”

“I’m sorry.”

He reached for Ryuji’s hood, placing it over his head to then pull it in his direction, giving him another kiss.

“You’re so affectionate today,” said Ryuji in an amused tone.

“I’ve been wanting to do this the entire day…” Goro admitted in a whisper. “I need to compensate while I have the chance.”

“That’s ‘cause we keep actin’ all secretive.”

“But it’s exciting like this, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Ryuji considered it for a second. “I still wish we didn’t have to hide it, though.”

That comment made Goro’s chest tighten a little—he knew it was unfair to Ryuji, but the thought of letting the others know about them still made him anxious.

“When are we gonna tell them?” asked Ryuji.

“I don’t know.”

Ryuji looked at him, seeming slightly concerned.

“You know I don’t mind other people knowin’, right?” he asked.

“Me neither,” admitted Goro, hesitating a little before proceeding. “But _they_ probably do.”

“They?” Ryuji furrowed his brow. “You mean, like, the media and stuff?”

Goro shook his head with a heavy sigh.

“They can go to hell for all I care… I’m talking about our group.” He made a pause, lowering his gaze. “I don’t want to cause problems between you and your friends.”

His answer made Ryuji stare at him, surprised.

“Is this what you’re worried about?” Ryuji made a pause, frowning. “And whaddya mean _my_ friends? They’re your friends too!”

“I don’t think they trust me yet,” answered Goro. “I want to prove them wrong, and show that I’m not Shido’s puppet anymore, but I…”

The words died on his tongue. Saying all that out loud made him realize how much it had been bothering him, despite all his attempts of keeping everything buried inside his chest. Ryuji looked at him for a while, then placed both hands on his cheeks, cupping his face. His palms were cold, but it didn’t bother Goro, who looked back at him.

“You’re the one who judges yourself the worst, y’know?” said Ryuji. “I mean, yeah, they were cautious in the beginning, but things are different now. Aki even said to me that he’s glad you decided to join us.”

“But Akira is just like that…” answered Goro. “He would say that to anyone in my place.”

“Nah, Aki doesn’t say stuff like this without meaning it,” retorted Ryuji. “If he says he trusts you, is ‘cause he really does.”

“Maybe.”

Ryuji lowered his eyes, leaning forward until he was resting against Goro’s chest.

“You know the others think of you as a friend, right?” he asked in a low voice.

“I know.”

He sounded more unsure than he hoped to. Goro heard a small sigh leave Ryuji’s lips, before he placed a kiss on the side of his neck.

“Listen, Goro…” he said, moving slightly away to look at his face. “I’m fine with waiting as much as I need to tell them about us. But it bothers me that we’re only doin’ it ‘cause you think they don’t trust you. You’re one of us… You’re our companion, and our friend. And I hate seein’ you doubt yourself like this.”

Goro didn’t answer for a while, thinking about those words.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” he asked in a low voice. “To let them know that you’re with someone like me?”

“You kiddin’?” Ryuji raised his eyebrow, letting out a brief laugh. “I can’t wait to brag about my cute boyfriend to everyone.”

“Cute?” repeated Goro, slightly amused.

Ryuji absentmindedly reached for Goro’s scarf, adjusting it to cover Goro’s neck better.

“Yeah,” he answered. “The cutest.”

Goro smiled, placing his hands over Ryuji’s. He stayed silent for a moment, wondering how much of that situation was a fair concern, and how much was him overthinking.

“Are you sure about it, then?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “I’m sure.”

If anything, Ryuji’s confidence seemed to affect him, pushing some of those loud concerns away. Goro nodded, briefly squeezing Ryuji’s hands.

“Alright,” he said, finally. “We’ll tell them.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Ryuji’s face brightened in clear excitement, and Goro responded by placing a kiss on his temple.

“But this is still a _very_ distressing subject to me,” he murmured, “so I’ll need all the support and love that you can offer.”

Those words made Ryuji look at him in slight disbelief.

“Are you really usin’ _this_ as an excuse?” he asked.

“It’s better than the previous one, isn’t it?”

“And it’s still terrible.”

Goro smiled as Ryuji leaned forward, placing a trail of soft kisses down his face.

“Does it matter?” he asked.

Ryuji answered by kissing his lips once again, and Goro concluded that, no, it didn’t.

“That’s disgusting…”

That familiar, judging voice made the two of them move away from each other, staring at the black cat near them.

“Mona?” said Ryuji. “What are you doin’ here?”

“I was looking for you,” explained Morgana. “You two were taking forever with the drinks, so I had to come and see if everything was fine.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Now I wish I didn’t…”

Both Goro and Ryuji opened their mouths, but no words came out of them. Morgana shivered with the cold, then moved closer to Ryuji.

“C’mon, Ryuji…” he said. “Are you really about to let me freeze out here after I came looking for you?”

“I didn’t ask you to!”

Contrary to his words, however, Ryuji crouched in front of Morgana, opening his jacket just enough to place the cat inside of it, leaving only his head out. Morgana purred briefly, and Ryuji placed his arms under his small body to keep him from falling.

“You lazy brat…” murmured Ryuji.

“This is the least you could do after making me see _that_ with my own eyes!” retorted Morgana, turning his gaze to Goro. “I’m so disappointed with you… I thought you had better taste than this.”

“Y’know, Mona… I could accidentally let you slip outta my jacket and into a dumpster… Just sayin’.”

“You’re the worst.”

While they argued with each other, Ryuji casually rubbed his chin on Morgana’s head, who didn’t do anything to stop him. The sight made Goro giggle: they could fight as much as they wanted, but their actions made clear how they actually felt about each other.

“Are you really just gonna keep laughin’ while this brat talks shit about me?” asked Ryuji, narrowing his eyes at Goro.

“I know better than to meddle on your bickering,” he answered.

“What a terrible guy…” Morgana shook his head. “I changed my mind, you deserve each other.”

Soon, they were back at the Leblanc, making their way upstairs, where the others cheered playfully for their arrival.

“I found them,” announced Morgana, as Ryuji let him out of his jacket. “You guys better not ask me anything else for the rest of the night.”

“Good job, Mona-chan!” said Haru, gesturing for him to get closer so she could pet his head.

Goro placed the bag with the beverages on the floor next to them, noticing the attention of the group was still on him and Ryuji.

“What took you guys so long?” asked Akira. “Did you get lost on your way there?”

Before either of them could answer, Futaba let out a loud, impatient sigh.

“Oh, let’s just get to the point already…” she said, looking at Morgana. “Were they kissing?”

Goro felt like she had just punched his stomach. Morgana groaned.

“I’ll let them answer it for you…” he said, shaking his head. “I just want to forget I ever saw that.”

Morgana’s indirect—but clear—answer made a strong warmth spread through Goro’s face and neck.

“They’re blushing!” said Ann. “Oh my God, they totally kissed!”

“Yes!” Futaba grabbed a pillow, throwing it at Akira’s head. “Suck it, Akira! You owe me cake now!”

“What?” protested Akira. “I never made a bet with you!”

“I don’t care,” retorted Futaba. “I want cake, and you will buy it.”

There was too much information for Goro to keep track of.

“Wait…” he said. “So, while we were gone, you were betting if we would kiss or not…?”

“No, Futaba is the only one who did it,” explained Yuuki. “No one wanted to bet against her, because…” He shrugged. “Well, it was obvious anyone who did was going to lose.”

“And here I thought my Ryuji was too pure to do something like this…” said Akira in a dramatic tone. “My trust was shattered into pieces…”

He threw himself in Ryuji’s direction, grabbing his leg.

“I can’t believe it…” proceeded Akira in that devastated tone. “I expected so much from you, but you’re just another disgusting homosexual in our family…”

“Yeah, yeah…” answered Ryuji. “You probably infected me with your gay.”

Akira gasped in shock. Ryuji sat on the floor, pulling him close and messing his hair, while Akira whined in a half-hearted complaint. Goro watched them for a moment, then looked at the rest of the group, still slightly lost.

“Since when do you know?” he asked.

“Are you serious?” Ann widened her eyes. “You two are all over each other since you joined us.”

“It’s really annoying, to be honest…” added Futaba in a low voice.

“Come on…” said Yuuki. “Don’t be so harsh on them.”

“Am I fucking lying?”

Goro could simply look from one of them to the other, unsure what to even think about their reactions.

“Are you… fine with this?” he asked.

“With what?” asked Ann.

“With Ryuji and I being together.”

The question made Yuuki furrow his brow.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” he asked.

“I’m…” Goro lowered his gaze. “I used to work for Shido.”

“And you left him to join us,” reminded Yusuke.

“I suppose…”

They said it so naturally that Goro was left speechless.

“Were you still worried about this?” asked Haru with a small laugh. “Come on… We’re a team now!”

“Exactly,” agreed Makoto. “If we can’t trust each other, then what’s the point?”

“I know,” murmured Goro under his breath. “I just…”

He tried to find an explanation, but his mind was completely blank. Had he really been overthinking the entire situation?

“Here he is, guys…” Futaba smirked as she gestured towards him. “The dumbest detective prodigy to ever live.”

“Stop being mean!” protested Yuuki.

“Never!”

Makoto sighed, turning her attention to Goro and Ryuji.

“Can you just sit down for now?” she asked. “We still have five episodes left until the season finale, and I’m curious to know what happens next.”

“The popcorn is almost over, though,” observed Yusuke.

“Let us take a little, then!” said Ryuji.

Akira looked at him, then grabbed the bowl of popcorn, hugging it close to his chest.

“Maybe I won’t…” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You betrayed my trust, after all…”

“Don’t be such a rancorous nerd!”

Ryuji reached for the bowl, and as soon as Akira moved it out of his reach, Yuuki took it from him and gave it to Ryuji, making Akira complain about his favoritism—which only lasted until Yuuki caressed his hair, making Akira lie down with his head on Yuuki’s lap, wanting more attention.

Goro sat at the end of Akira’s bed, with his back against the wall, and Ryuji took his place between his legs. Goro embraced his waist, pulling Ryuji closer until he was leaning against his chest.

“That was easier than I thought,” murmured Ryuji.

“True,” admitted Goro. “It almost gave me a heart attack, though.”

“Right?” Ryuji took a handful of popcorn, stuffing his mouth before offering it to Goro. “Want popcorn?”

Before reaching for the popcorn, Goro placed a brief kiss on Ryuji’s cheek.

“You two are disgusting…” said Morgana.

“Shaddup, you furry brat,” answered Ryuji.

Despite his words, Morgana made himself comfortable close to them. Goro listened to their usual bickering, tightening his arms around Ryuji’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder, while Makoto asked for their silence as she played the next episode of that old series.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
